The new version of Microsoft Word is used inside a Web browser and it works on both Windows PCs and Macs, and by means of the newer versions of the major browsers, like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Chrome.

Not only word is available in a free online version, but the other Office components have also been created by Microsoft, like Excel, PowerPoint and its OneNote note-taking program. This Office Web Apps is available at office. live. com. The user has to have a free account for the company's broader Windows Live online service.

The new version of traditional desktop Office for Windows called Office 2010 will be released by Microsoft next week. It is a new step towards cloud computing, i. e., doing tasks online rather than with desktop programs. Microsoft can compete with rival online office groups like Google and Zoho.

The new Web Apps are connected to a munificent 25 gigabytes of free online storage of user's documents through SkyDrive, which is a companion Microsoft online storage system.

Microsoft's Office Web Apps produce documents which look fully accurate when opened in desktop Office, as it uses the same file formats as the desktop programs. The documents can be viewed on an iPhone and iPad, though, they can't be edited there.